Illinois State Designated Information Assurance Education Center

Illinois State University has been designated as a Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education for academic years 2009-2014.  The program is jointly sponsored by the National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security.  The designation is based on the depth and quality of teaching and research in the School of Information Technology and across the University.

The National Centers of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education program helps reduce vulnerabilities in the nation's information infrastructure by promoting education and research and producing highly trained professionals with information assurance expertise in various disciplines.  These professionals are responsible for managing and securing information systems in both the public and private sectors. 

Designation as a Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education is based on a rigorous evaluation of a college or university's teaching and research in the area of information assurance.  Universities must treat information assurance as a multi-disciplinary science, collaborate with other educational institutions, encourage faculty and student research on the subject and practice information assurance principles in its everyday operations. 

National Centers of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Education are located throughout the country, many within driving distance of major Department of Defense installations, federal research centers, and other federal agencies. The schools serve as regional centers of information assurance expertise and have begun to provide programs aimed at retaining current federal and state information technology personnel. Students attending these designated schools are eligible to apply for scholarships and grants through the Department of Defense Information Assurance Scholarship Program and the Federal Cyber Service Scholarship for Service Program.

"This designation shows that Illinois State is part of an exclusive group of universities uniquely positioned to teach a topic that is increasingly important," said Douglas Twitchell, director of the School of Information Technology's Center for Information Assurance Education.  "As more data moves online, and more criminals target that data, training professionals to protect data becomes more important."